Spercheios Fthiotis Greece

An imperial army under the Domestic of the West, Nikephoros Ouranos, is sent after the Bulgarians, who return north to meet it.

Basil II has appointed Ouranos commander of all Balkan territories of the Empire and has given him a large army to cope with the Bulgarians.

He follows the Bulgarian army and confronts it after the Bulgarians go through the Thermopylae pass on the river of Spercheios.

Due to heavy rainfalls, the river has swollen and flooded a large area on both shores.

The Bulgarians camp on the southern shore and the imperial forces on the northern, separated from each other by the river.

The two armies remain thus encamped for several days.

Samuel is confident that the Greeks will be unable not cross, and neglects to take measures to protect his camp.

Ouranos however, seeks and finds a ford, leading his army across during the night, and attacking the Bulgarians at dawn.

The Bulgarians are not able to put up effective resistance, and the larger part of their army is routed.

Samuel himself is wounded and he and his son Gavril Radomir evade capture by feigning death among the bodies of their slain soldiers while twelve thousand of their men are said to be captured.

After nightfall, they set off to Bulgaria and in the Pindus mountains gather the remains of their army.

Due to the difficult four-hundred-kilometer journey to Ochrid, his arm healed at an angle of 140°.

According to Yahya of Antioch, Nikephoros Ouranos returned to Constantinople with one thousand heads of Bulgarian soldiers and twelve thousand captives.

The battle is the first major defeat of the Bulgarian army.